Mangoes and Agave in the Central Valley? California Farmers Try New Crops to Cope with Climate Change

By Alastair Bland/CalMatters on May 10, 2023 at 11:19AM

Climate change essentially means that Southern California’s conditions are creeping north up the coast and into the valley, while Oregon and Washington are becoming more like Northern California. Precipitation, winds, fog, and seasonal and daily temperature patterns — all of which determine which crops can be grown where — have all been altered.

Lawmakers Want More Social Media Regulation. Here are the Legal Hurdles They Could Face

By Grace Gedye/CalMatters on May 3, 2023 at 11:16AM

CalMatters reached out to Twitter, Reddit, Mastodon, TikTok and Meta, which also owns WhatsApp, for comment. Twitter’s press inbox responded automatically with a poop emoji.

Proponents Stand by Cannabis Reform Initiative, Warn County to Correct 'Distortions'

By Thadeus Greenson on April 25, 2023 at 10:17AM

Proponents of the Humboldt Cannabis Reform Initiative are standing by their proposal that would overhaul the county’s cultivation regulations if passed by voters next year, saying the county’s analysis of the measure is “packed with factual errors, untruths and distortions.” A county staff report on the 38-page initiative presented to the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors last month warned it would have “dire consequences” for the industry, saying that in addition to capping the number and size of new cannabis farms in the county, it would also immediately render 400 of the county’s permitted farms “non-conforming.” Due to ambiguities in the initiative’s language, staff also posited the initiative could then prevent these already permitted farms from making environmental improvements — like adding solar arrays or increasing water storage — and obtaining non-cultivation permits that would allow for tourism or processing on site.

Developer Agrees to Tear Down Controversial Home, Faces Daily $40K Fines

By Thadeus Greenson on April 13, 2023 at 1:05PM

It was later learned that Bongio had done concrete work on the project in 2019, according to Schneider, which he later failed to publicly disclose when attempting to resolve the permit violations as a commissioner. (Bongio later, after being censured by the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors for his conduct at the August meeting and stepping down as the commission’s chair, resigned from the commission entirely in December to “focus on his family and business.”)

Bushnell Quiet on Possible Cannabis Conflict

By Thadeus Greenson on April 8, 2023 at 7:00AM

Dubbed the Cannabis Reform Initiative, the ballot measure slated to come before voters would overhaul cultivation regulations locally, most notably by capping the size of new farms at 10,000 square feet, which would immediately render more than 400 permitted farms — seemingly including Bushnell’s — “non-conforming.” Among the litany of other changes the initiative would bring is a provision that permits would expire annually, as well as others limiting generator use and strengthening road quality requirements. For non-conforming farms, the initiative would allow them to stay in operation as long as they don’t expand their uses — there’s widespread confusion about exactly how this would be interpreted — or apply for another permit.

Salmon Season Closure: Huffman, Pelosi Pledge to Work to Fast Track Federal Aid, Cite Need for Long-Term Solutions

By Kimberly Wear on April 7, 2023 at 7:45PM

“Countless families, coastal communities and tribal nations depend on salmon fishing — it’s more than an industry, it’s a way of life. That’s why we’re requesting expedited relief from the federal government,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a news release.

What Stands Between You and a Four-day Week

By Grace Gedye/CalMatters on April 6, 2023 at 3:49PM

It’s Thursday evening. You pack up your things at work and hit the road.

Protestors Call on Local Banks to Cut Fossil Fuel Industry Support

By Mark Larson on March 28, 2023 at 12:17PM

CalPERS to Pay $800 Million Settlement Over Claims It Misled Retirees on Costs of Long-term Care Insurance

By Adam Ashton/CalMatters on March 20, 2023 at 2:59PM

Under the new agreement, retirees who want to cancel their long-term care insurance will receive 80 percent of the premiums they paid into CalPERS’ long-term care fund. That could amount to tens of thousands of dollars for retirees.

Duffy Tapped as Interim Fair GM

By Linda Stansberry on March 19, 2023 at 3:07PM

While officially slated to start March 15, she said she got to work a bit earlier, prompted by the severe winter storms battering the North Coast, and was in touch with county Public Works Director Tom Mattson and Ferndale City Manager Jay Parrish about using the fairgrounds as an evacuation site, if necessary. The association board has begun discussing and researching the hiring process for a permanent general manager but has yet to post the position, and the executive committee had discussed board members fulfilling the function of the general manager in the interim, though some felt that was too heavy a responsibility for them to take on.